


Happy Halloween

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Before, Episode: s02e01 New Earth, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heart of the TARDIS, Meddling TARDIS, Post-Episode: s01e14 The Christmas Invasion, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-21 20:18:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2481080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose surprises the Doctor with her Halloween costume, and this leads to a serious of escapades where he may or may not finally admit he loves her, and will Bad Wolf come into play?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is an AU take on if Rose and Ten had some adventures before New Earth, which i know it's highly unlikely they did. and also its got some Bad Wolf and TARDIS stuff that i completely made up on the spot, leading to angst.  
> but there is a happy ending, no fear!

“Happy Halloween Doctor!”

The Doctor glanced up from studying the console screen, and the smart remark forming in his brain and nearly rolling off his tongue about how time was relative and there was no way to know for sure it was anywhere near the Earth date of October 31st completely died as he took in Rose’s appearance and outfit.

“Where did you get that?”

He squeaked out, clapping a hand over his mouth immediately, wishing he could redo the sentence and not have his voice crack so significantly.

Rose simply giggled, and twirled around for him on the grating.

“Do you like it? I’m _you_. Well the old you.”

She stood before him in a pair of tight fitting dark wash denims, (definitely not _his_ precisely then) a dark green v neck shirt, (certainly not his because he preferred jumpers in that body) and a black leather jacket with zippers, one diagonally laying atop her right breast (oops try not to think about that) and the other at perfect pocket height for her left hand.

He frowned, and the snarky comment flew off his lips,

“That’s not something I’d wear at all. You look like an imitation of me.”

Rose cocked a brow and flipped her loose blonde hair back from her face,

“That so? Well, this is what she gave me to wear, when I told her I wanted to look like you.”

The Doctor frowned further, and scanned her form once more, his eyes not lingering on the patch of skin he could see thanks to the v neck, no not at all,

“She?”

“The TARDIS. I got these from the wardrobe room.”

One of his hands was still lingering on the console, and through it he felt a shock travel. A gentle one for sure, nothing like the sparks he would receive if he wired something incorrectly and upset her, but it got his attention. She was saying ‘Stop being such a daft fool and tell her she looks lovely.’

“Of course you did.”

Another zap. ‘Wrong answer.’

“Don’t you like it Doctor? I thought you would be pleased.”

Rose’s face had fallen, and with it the Doctor’s hearts melted. She was upset, and worried, as well as nervous, judging by the way she nibbled on a thumbnail as she watched him.

“No of course I love it. It’s very kind of you, this homage.”

A tentative smile crept back onto her features, and he even thought he saw a hint of a blush stain her cheeks,

“Really? Thanks.”

“Did you really like me that much, back then, enough to want to do this?”

Rose nodded, stepping towards him just slightly,

“Yeah. I’m still here aren’t I? You didn’t scare me off, you and your big ears and northern accent and armor of leather. You were just in need of a…friend.”

The Doctor swallowed, and the final images of his last self played in his mind’s eye.

Just a friend?

She’d come back to him, saved his life, and then he’d kissed her, and saved hers. They’d saved each other. Did friends do that?

But of course! She didn’t remember doing any of that. For her, it was probably all a blur.

That meant she thought they were friends, and nothing more. But not - _never_ \- anything more.

“Rose Tyler.” He said softly, in the best imitation of his last voice, and he swore he could smell her, the change in the air, and the tang of hormones being released.

“Yes?”

“What should I dress up as?”

She giggled, and his hearts soared at the sound. She was getting back to her cheerful self, despite his misstep.

“Not a slitheen, or a dalek, that’s for sure.”

He grimaced,

“Well no. Not a big fan of either of them.”

“Me neither.”

So many things he wanted to say and most of them centered on how grateful he was to have her, to have her there still, with him. The Daleks had tried to end that, to change it, and the very thought of her ever in the presence of one of them again made his blood boil. Not much made him angry, but the thought of Rose in danger did quicker than anything else in the known universe.

“Let me think on it…how much time do I have?”

Rose tilted her head at him, and tugged absentmindedly on a zipper to the jacket, his hearts leapt when he realized it was the one most likely touching her right breast, (damn his hypersensitive libido in this body) before she replied,

“I guess you’d probably say all of it. Time is relative…right?”

He gulped. She knew him so well; it sometimes made him want to do the last thing he figured she’d want. To pull her into his arms and never let go. Well, maybe long enough to kiss her, again, and remove those damned clothes that were modeled so closely after his own.

“Yep. I also have to find us the perfect place to go trick or treating.”

Rose grinned at him, and that pink tongue made a brief appearance, much to his dismay (and delight),

“You’re gonna tell me there’s a whole planet for that…right?”

The Doctor winked at her,

“Absolutely.”


	2. Chapter 2

Rose wandered out of the console room a few moments later, still wondering what had gotten her Doctor in such a strange mood. He seemed almost giddy, but then always retreated from her when she tried to move in, tried to take his hand, or even hug him.

It had been an odd time, since after the Christmas Invasion. They’d tried to pretend things were just back to normal, but the truth was…they weren’t.

She’d taken to twisting her hair into braids and spirals when he wasn’t looking at her, and she knew she needed to get it cut, or just trimmed soon. Maybe time was relative, but her body continued to grow and mature, with or without her say so.

That meant many things.

To her, since she and Mickey had basically unofficially broken up, for he’d seen what she hadn’t dared admit, she loved the Doctor, she’d now been without a single encounter with the opposite sex in over a year.

It only meant that every touch the Doctor let happen was multiplied tenfold for her. She laid awake hours sometimes, wondering if certain glances or long looks meant anything. She’d held hands with him so often before, now it was like quitting any sort of addition cold turkey.

Could have been from the regeneration? Had something gone wrong?

Excepting the horrible landing they’d had before Christmas, things hadn’t seemed terribly off.

He was jumpy and always smiling, except when he wasn’t. She’d catch him staring at the console, sometimes longingly, and he’d look so sad her heart would ache for him.

Then he’d spot her, and beam at her, and it was like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

How she wished to make him look and feel as she did all the time.

Happy, and content.

Halloween was simply an excuse to get him to smile more, and then today had happened.

The way he’d looked when she’d assured him she’d enjoyed being with him just as much before as she did now, well that had been shocking.

Had he really been so afraid to lose her before?

She’d never said a truer word in her life. He hadn’t scared her. She’d seen him for what he was, a lost lonely soul, wandering the universe in need of a companion.

Even if they never progressed beyond hand holding and hugs, she’d be glad he let her in.

“I just want you safe, my Doctor.”

She murmured aloud, and then a golden haze overcame her vision, fading away the instant she blinked. ‘What was that?’ she wondered, before shrugging it off as some weird memory from a dream.

The TARDIS wardrobe came into view and she gladly entered it, beginning her search for the perfect costume for the Doctor. He hadn’t exactly asked for her help, but she wanted to do it anyway.

***

“I should just tell her, shouldn’t I?”

Asking the TARDIS for advice on anything was a two edged sword. When it came to Rose, doubly so. She would tell him what to do, the right thing, and he would either ignore it, leaving it to fester in the back of his mind until he nearly went mad at the prospect of doing it, or she’d remain silent, and leave him wondering if it meant he already knew the answer, but didn’t want to consider it.

Today, this time, she told him exactly what he already knew. That every second he wasted pretending otherwise, (that he _didn’t_ love her) was another second he could have spent _loving_ her.

He gritted his teeth, and asked one more thing.

“Where is she?”

‘Dear heart, she is in the wardrobe room.’

The Doctor shrugged and stalked away from the console room,

“Of course she is… she’s picking out a costume for me. Because she’s wonderful like that.”

The lights that flashed down the hallways seemed to echo his statement, one hundred fold. Rose was wonderful, beautiful, clever and kind, and he loved her.

It was time he stopped running from her, and ran to her.

“Rose!”

He called out her name, perhaps somewhat foolishly, as he was nearly to the door, still hanging wide open, leading to the stairs which curved around the many racks of clothing.

“Yes Doctor?”

She’d heard him!

“Er…are you alright?”

“Of course I am…were you worried about me?”

She was holding a handful of something colored red and grey and black and gold and green, something filled with memories.

His scarf.

From so long ago.

“Er…not quite.”

She smiled at him, softly and gently, and set the scarf down in a colorful bundle, before stepping towards him, slowly ascending the stairs and accidentally giving him a bit of a peek down her shirt, thanks to the v neck again.

“That’s awfully sweet of you to come check on me. Or were you hoping to sneak a peek at what I’m making for your costume?”

The Doctor rubbed his neck, and tugged on his ear, and her eyes followed the movement.

“Yep.”

“To which?”

“Both?” He chuckled nervously, and she’d finally reached the same step as he.

“Why don’t you come help? That way I’ll know what to pick. It doesn’t need to be a surprise, I was just kidding.”

She reached for his free hand, and that was it. The moment of truth. Was he going to keep flinching away from her, for fear of being driven mad by his need for her?

He only hesitated a moment, before meeting her halfway, and lacing his fingers through hers, clinging tightly to her hand, and she beamed at him.

“Allons-y.”

Little crinkles formed between her eyebrows, and her nose wrinkled in confusion,

“What’s that?”

The Doctor grinned,

“It means ‘Let’s go’ in French.”

Rose nodded,

“Ah. Know a lot of French do you?”

The Doctor shrugged,

“A bit. Every language has it’s common words and phrases. Adios, Spanish. Aloha, Hawaiian, Dosvidaniya, Russian. And so it goes. And that’s just Earthen languages!” 

Rose giggled,

“I guess you’re right. Tell me something Venusian. What do they say for good morning?”

The Doctor rubbed his neck again,

“Umm I’m not sure there’s a way to say it in English. There’s several different varieties. Some ways strangers greet one another, another way for friends and family and…”

Rose over at him from where she’d been studying a familiar leather vest and white tee shirt pair on a hanger,

“And what?”

The Doctor coughed,

“Uh, lovers.”

Rose’s eyebrow shot up her forehead,

“All those groups have different ways to say ‘Good morning?’”

The Doctor nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak, for it was the greeting between lovers that he most wished to show her. It wasn’t terribly racy on its own, but the context of the greeting was. Lovers who woke up beside one another went through a series of kisses to indicate the reunion after slumber, and lovers who were parted usually spoke aloud the same movements, or could illustrate them in writing. Venusians were very romance oriented peoples.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wow.”

Rose muttered under her breath, while replacing the hanger bearing one of Jack’s ensembles. Looking at it made her feel strange, and she filed the topic of the Captain away for another time.

“What?”

“It’s just…here I am, thinking I know a lot about different places, cause of all the travelin’ we’ve done, but it turns out even here, in my home solar system, I don’t know much at all.”

The Doctor squeezed her hand in his, and she felt his thumb stroke the back of her hand,

“It’s okay. There’s so much out there, it’d take a life time to explore it all, maybe more.”

Rose gulped, both from the nervousness at the sensation of his touch, and the fact he was bringing up her mortality in such an innocent and casual manner.

He’d noticed her silence it seemed, and he spoke again,

“Don’t worry, it’s amazing how much traveling we packed into a year, just think, another year we’ll have done twice that much.’

“It always comes back to earth though. Saving the planet. Why is that?”

The Doctor grinned at her,

“Earth is my favorite planet. It’s got a special place in my heart. Now especially.”

Rose frowned, and looked up at him again, her own hand suddenly clinging to his in desperation, was he saying what she thought he was?

“Why is that?”

She saw his adams apple bob, and his eyes left hers, darting to the lower left, and she knew she’d got him. He was about to lie to her.

“It’s got so much history. The first planet in this big ol galaxy to begin exploring outside their own backyard…brilliant.”

Rose’s eyes stung, and she blinked, looking away back to the closet and the clothes still hanging patiently inside.

“Of course yeah. Yay for humans. We’re such clever things.”

“Rose…”

She smiled faintly, and reluctantly met his gaze, only to find herself stunned at the warmth and concern in the brown orbs.

“What is it Doctor?”

“You know you are. You’re clever, and brave, and above all else, compassionate. You’ve done brilliant things. You made me better. That’s an incredible feat in and of itself.”

She grinned, and hoped her tears weren’t about to fall and betray her,

“Yeah. Wasn’t that hard to do. Just had to get you to loosen up a bit.”

She poked him in the chest with her free hand, and instead of pulling back, laid her hand flush to his suit, feeling the faint twin heartbeats beneath his skin, almost in sync with her own singular one.

“Rose.”

He said it in a hushed tone, a whisper of a prayer, and she realized just how close they were standing.

She swallowed thickly, and continued to stare into his eyes,

“Yes Doctor?”

“I forgot one thing.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Before her mouth could fall open in shock, he’d leaned down and closed the infinitesimal distance between them, and captured her lips with his own in a searing kiss.

The Doctor was kissing her!

The Doctor was kissing her?

The Doctor was _kissing_ her!

***

He’d done it.

He could hear the TARDIS singing inside his head, triumphant and long and loud. She was proud of him, and it showed, glimmering lights flashed around them, even though the wardrobe wasn’t full of many light sources, besides the over head ones, and the scattered bulbs inside the closets.

But it was as if a serious of fireworks had exploded overhead, only silent, and just for them.

When he pulled away for air, more to her benefit than his own, (respiratory bypass, thank you very much) he opened his eyes and scanned her face, wondering if she was going to be winding up to give him a Tyler slap for what he’d done.

But instead, he found Rose’s lovely face filled with emotion, tears clung to her dark lashes, and color bloomed in her cheeks, not to mention her lips were suddenly more plump and pink than they’d ever been, (thanks to him) and she laughed nervously at the sight of him, watching her.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

He echoed her automatically, still wondering if perhaps this wasn’t all a dream, he’d fallen asleep at the console, and she was about to return, costume in hand, and wake him from this bliss.

“Was that alright?”

He asked, begging desperately without so many words for her to say yes.

She didn’t say anything, but her vigorous nod spoke volumes.

“I dunno if you know, but that’s actually the second time we’ve done…that.”

The little wrinkles formed between her brows again, and his hand lifted to stroke her cheek, his fingers inches from her temples,

“May I?”

She may not have completely understood what he was asking, but she nodded silently again.

Joy like he’d never known, not since that moment in Cardiff when he’d realized how much he loved her, (‘Me too’ suddenly rung in his ears), burst through him as he brought his hands all the way up to cradle her head, and his eyes fell shut, as he willed her to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

A song like the rushing of wind and the clanging of ethereal chimes flowed across Rose’s senses, and she felt intense emotions well up inside her, as the memory of what happened after the Doctor sent her home from the Game Station become clear.

No longer was there a blur upon those images, now she saw herself, with help from Mickey and Jackie, opening the heart of the TARDIS, gazing into the brilliant gleaming gold light, like a second sun, and absorbing the power within.

She’d flown the time ship without a bit of trouble, but with only one goal in mind, Save the Doctor.

With a wave of her hands, and another simple thought, she’d destroyed the Daleks and the emperor. Then her heart clenched inside her chest as she remembered Jack.

She’d brought him back from the dead, but at what cost?

Where was he?

A tear escaped her closed eye, and trailed down her cheek as the visions continued in her mind. The memory of the pain, the vise grip that the power of time and space began to wreak havoc on her mind, it was only a phantom pain, but it hurt.

And so she had told him, and he had helped her, saved her life, and in return, given up his own.

One kiss, filled with desperation and _love_ , such love that she felt she could die happily having known it.

Then he’d carried her into the TARDIS and they’d taken off, flying fast and far away from poor Jack.

Her eyes flew open and the Doctor stepped back from her,

“What do you remember?”

He asked softly, so quiet she was almost unsure he’d spoken aloud, and maybe only asked the question while he’d been inside her mind, for that was what he’d done. He’d unlocked a room that she’d not known had been hidden.

“I can see everything.”

She saw him flinch, and the realization of the fact she’d said that once, in a wholly different context made her pause,

“What happened to Jack? Where is he now?”

The Doctor sighed,

“I knew that you’d ask me eventually. He’s fine. He’s on Earth, working in Cardiff. He’s safe. He’s alive, even though he died back on the Game Station, but you brought him back. You in all your glorious power, you gave him a second chance.”

Rose laughed nervously,

“I did that? Wow. I’m glad he’s alright. But something’s wrong about him. Otherwise you would have brought him with us…am I right?”

The Doctor nodded,

“He’s a fixed point now. Time moves around him, and it’s hard for me to spend close proximity with someone like that. His very existence is…wrong. To me at least. As someone who sees time and the way things can and could go, it’s strange to have a constant.”

Rose felt her blood run cold,

“Poor Jack…”

The implication of what he would go through suddenly took a hold of her, and she began to feel faint.

“Whoa! Rose…are you okay?”

White began to invade her vision, and the Doctor’s face before her was blurry.

“Doctor?”

A few moments later, blackness enveloped her sight totally.

***

“Stupid, stupid. Why did you think that would be okay?”

The Doctor paced around the medbay, eyes never straying far from Rose, who lay atop one of the small beds, covered daintily by a sheet, and with many machines beeping around her.

The TARDIS flashed her lights at him in frustration, and he groaned.

“I know, I get it. you said she could handle it. But she doesn’t seem to be handling it to me. Her body is too delicate.”

He could have bitten his tongue for uttering the words aloud, for now they were out there, and he couldn’t take them back. His biggest fear realized.

Rose was constantly in danger from injury and eventually death.

A soft humming broke through his panic.

“What?”

‘Look at her.’

“I am looking!”

‘Read the words.’

The Doctor strode closer to the display screen and began to do that.

What he saw was impossible.

“This can’t be.”

‘It is. You think I would let her have my power and be unprotected?’

The Doctor tugged his right ear, and shrugged his shoulders,

“No…I guess you’d know better.”

‘You think?’

“Okay fine. What’s happening to her?”

‘Her body is fully healing. Those memories were a trigger.’

“What’s that mean?”

The Doctor was a bit perplexed by the machinations of his beloved ship, and he peered into Rose’s timeline, for just a moment, bending his usual rule of not interfering with Companion’s lives.

What he saw threw him for a loop, and he stumbled backwards from where Rose still lay.

Her timeline was similar to the appearance of the vortex. Gold, gleaming and glistening, and extending far further into the future than could be possible.

It vanished at some points nearby, and there were larger gaps farther away.

That indicated she would be in his presence, for he could never see his own timeline. But not constantly. She would leave him, or he would be forced to leave her.

His hearts skipped a beat at how close the nearest gap was, and how long the golden strand extended past it, before disappearing again.

Together or not at all, he’d once thought angrily, when he’d been forced to choose between letting a Dalek harm her, or damning other innocent lives to die.

But then she’d shown him it didn’t have to always be absolutes. He could save her, and then allow compassion.

That Dalek had been a fluke, a freak of nature, changed by the love and kindness of Rose herself.

Unbidden, he stepped to her side, and reached out to stroke her forehead, brushing her hair back from her eyes, and they flew open in a flash.

“What happened?”

He bite his tongue to keep from repeating what he’d said not too long ago when faced with the same question. There was no hiding now, no holding back.

“You fainted.”

“Why? I feel fine.”

Rose sat up rather swiftly, and pushed the sheet off of herself, and he would have chided her for doing so without getting her bearings first, but she really did appear to be in the picture of health.

“You just had a bit of...recovering to do. Recalling those memories wasn’t the easiest thing your body has ever done.”

He saw a blush forming on her cheeks, and he swallowed.

“Um, not that you can’t do anything you put your mind to, and in fact you _did_ put your mind to something, rather stubbornly of you I might add, in fact – “

“Doctor!”

He blinked, and realized he’d begun to ramble a bit.

“Yes?”

“Why did you bring me here? Was I hurt?”

The Doctor took her hand at once, helping her down from the table top, and he shook his head,

“Nope, you’re perfectly fine. Fit as a fiddle, sound as a string bean, and in fact, you’ll probably outlive me.”

Rose’s eyes went wide, and he fisted his free hand in his pocket.

“What was that?”

“Er…nothing.”

Rose squeezed his hand, forcing him to a stop, and he sighed, turning to face her,

“It’s just, the TARDIS did a little meddling with your timeline, with your entire biology, when you absorbed the vortex.”

“But I thought you took it out of me…hence the kiss.”

Rose frowned at him in confusion, and he nodded, desperate for her to understand,

“I did. But there were effects. Nothing dangerous, or immediately apparent, and I should know, I scanned you once you were back aboard the TARDIS, to make sure you were safe.”

A smile found its way onto Rose’s face, and she tilted her head to the right,

“You did?”

“Of course! You’d just saved my life. It was the least I could do.”

Rose nodded, and he remembered his train of thought,

“Anyway, so then it turns out when I helped you remember that, all that happened, it triggered something that she’d put there. Some sort of surge protector for your mind. The gentle release of it wrought the changes. I’m still not sure what happened, exactly. The TARDIS works in mysterious ways…but the most important thing is, she wants me to be happy, and she wants you to help keep your promise of…forever.”

Rose squealed in delight, and threw her arms around him, stunning him a bit. He’d not anticipated such a reaction, but he loved it.

His arms wound around her so tightly he was sure if he’d been an outside observer to decipher where she began and he ended would be impossible.

“That’s the best news I’ve ever heard. You know I meant what I said. When I said forever. I wasn’t just trying to cheer you up. Well, I wanted it to do that too, and it did.”

“Oh Rose.”

She pressed her nose into his jacket, and clung to him a few moments longer, before he pulled back.

“Why do you still look sad?”

He forced a smile.

“I don’t look sad.”

“Yes you do. You just did a moment ago, and you do it whenever you think I can’t see you. What is it?”

“If I tell you, then I’m going to have to hide the memory of it from you, because no one can know about their future.”

Rose frowned,

“What are you talking about?”

The Doctor exhaled slowly,

“This ‘forever’ of ours isn’t going to be easy, not smooth sailing, not at first.”


	5. Chapter 5

Rose felt her heart speed up at the simple fact he’d said ‘Our’ when speaking of the future. But then she realized what he’d been implying.

“Does something happen?”

He nodded.

“Doctor…please tell me. Even if I have to forget, for a little while. Please tell me why you’re sad.”

He stepped closer to her, so that she could feel his warm breath hitting her skin, and he closed his eyes before speaking,

“I’m going to lose you, somehow. And I won’t get the chance to tell you that…I love you. So much. So much it hurts me to go a day without saying it. But I’m afraid. Afraid I’ll lose you, and not just from that, but so many more reasons.”

Her palm lifted up of its own accord and cupped his cheek, forcing his eyes to open and pin her in a stare that took her breath away,

“You’re never going to lose me. I’ll always find you. Somehow. Some way. No matter how long it takes. Don’t worry about saying it. I know it. I know you love me, as much as you must know I love you too. It’s in the way I look at you, and the hugs we have. You don’t have to kiss me to tell me. But it helps.”

She grinned cheekily at him for a moment, before softening her expression. His eyes had gone wide, and he still looked as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Rose Tyler…”

“I love how you say my name.”

“How did I get so lucky?”

“I love how you hold my hand.”

“I wasn’t finished brooding.”

“I love how you look serious when you’re trying to puzzle something out.”

“Rose…”

“I love you. Don’t ever forget it. Even though I have to.”

“We both do.”

Rose nodded, and brought their linked hands up to her face, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand, before releasing it, and bringing it flush to her temples,

“Okay. Go ahead. But promise me you’ll find an occasion to kiss me again.”

The Doctor nodded,

“How could I resist?”

He did it almost at once, bringing her head close to his own, as his palms met her skin, his lips brushed over her forehead in a soft, reverent kiss.

 

She shook her head, and frowned. She was sitting on the stairs in the wardrobe room, hands filled with scraps of clothing, including a very long and unwieldy scarf that surely would result in injury if the Doctor wore it.

“Nah.”

She tossed it aside, and got back to her feet, beginning to comb through the racks again.

His costume had to be perfect.

***

The Doctor was staring.

Rose had returned from the wardrobe room with an alarming outfit hanging from the hanger.

“What?”

He was glad he had the console to lean against, for surely he would have fallen on his face if he’d not. A hauntingly familiar velvet waistcoat, dark brown trousers and green silk cravat all shouted at him to be thrown in a rubbish bin the closer Rose got to his side.

“I think it’s lovely. You can be a Victorian gentleman, and I’m your wild lady friend from two centuries later.”

The Doctor couldn’t help the smile that formed over his face, despite a horrid outfit from a past life still staring him in the face.

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yep. It’ll be fantastic.”

Rose beamed at him and rushed forward to throw her arms about him in a hug. Their first since being aboard the Sycorax ship and afterwards.

The hanger dug into his back slightly, but the padding of the velvet jacket minimized the possible pain.

He watched as she ran off, to prepare candy baskets, she’d said, and left him holding the hanger.

After moving to the console, preparing to land them on the planet that housed the longest running Halloween festival, Spookania, he let his thoughts wander back. What if he’d met her as his eighth self? How long would it have taken for him to fall in love with her?

Probably half the time it took his last self. She’d only have to smile at him in that wonderful way, take his hand, and then his hearts would have been hers.

He delayed changing his suit into the so called ‘costume’ as long as he dared, but then he had to face the facts, either she’d come and catch him half naked, (which would certainly escalate things) or he’d not have discarded a single thing and she’d be hurt.

By the time she returned to the console room, breathless and giddy from running in the halls, a basket shaped like a pumpkin in each hand, he was still tugging on the waistcoat and attempting to tuck in the cravat properly.

Why had he picked such a complicated outfit in that regeneration?

“Here, let me help.”

His eyes snapped up to her and she was suddenly in front of him, her clever and smaller hands pushing his aside gently, as she deftly began to twist and tie the silk fabric.

How did she do that?

“Alright Rose Tyler, here we are, say hello to Spookania!”

They walked out the doors, and Rose coughed. The Doctor looked over at her with a nervous grin, and he saw she was actually fighting the urge to laugh.

“Not quite what I expected Doctor. There’s much more…hair than I’m used to seeing at Halloween.”

The Doctor ducked his head, and hoped he wasn’t blushing too red.

“That’s because this isn’t Spookania. This is Arda. A whole planet devoted to hair styling, wigs and natural hair. I’ve messed up the coordinates a bit. These two planets are in the same galaxy, but on opposite sides.”

Rose reached for his hand, and he let her, feeling certain she was about to tug him back into the TARDIS, but instead she began walking forward, towards the colorful madness.

“It’s okay Doctor, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve needed a change in my hair style for a while. Let’s do this first. Halloween can wait.”

The Doctor nodded swiftly and eagerly let her lead him on.

They stopped in the first salon Rose liked, and she was delighted to discover this planet encouraged walk ins from off worlders.

After first ensuring they wouldn’t do anything crazier than take off a couple inches, Rose sat back in her seat, and let the stylists take over, shampooing and conditioning her hair, as the Doctor stayed out in the waiting area, clutching the pumpkin baskets, and Rose’s leather jacket.

She’d shucked it off so quickly and easily that he’d been afraid he might drool a little. Watching Rose remove an item of clothing was far too arousing.

The fact that her scent of honey and something like time had permeated the leather, (which was also still warm from her skin) as he held it made him a bit dizzy.

He glanced over to ensure she couldn’t possibly see him before bringing the jacket closer to his face, and inhaling deeply.

It was glorious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't worry! it's not the end of this.  
> and Arda is based upon Arda Wigs, the fabulous makers and suppliers to cosplayers.  
> they deserve a medal and a store in every mall.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose couldn’t believe how long it had been since she’d visited a hair salon, and now she was at one of the best places in the galaxy.

Well, precisely which galaxy it was remained to be seen, but they worked wonders. She’d been given a virtual massage as they’d cleaned and styled her hair, and when she finally looked in the mirror to see the long sleek blonde bob framing her face, she smiled so big it made her cheeks hurt.

They’d also touched up her roots, and she was eternally grateful for that. The method of hair coloring on that world was simple and easy, and she’d never felt the usual burn that was typical of bleach usage.

“What do you think Doctor?”

She’d bounded out from her seat and into the waiting room where the Doctor still sat patiently, and he looked up from the magazine he’d been reading, with a look of awe on his face.

“You look beautiful!”

Rose ducked her head and blushed,

“For a human?”

She asked him cheekily, and she could have sworn she saw something like shame flitter across his face before shaking his head,

“Nope. I mean it. That style is really nice on you.”

“So then, off to Spookania?”

“Yep! Allons-y Rose Tyler!”

It wasn’t until they’d gotten back to the TARDIS that Rose asked him what he’d meant.

A cloud seemed to fall over his face before he grinned easily at her,

“It means let’s go in French.”

“Oh, very nice. I hope you’re hungry for some candy…cause I sure am.”

The Doctor nodded,

“And the best part is on Spookania the candy doesn’t harm your teeth. But I’d still recommend brushing after eating some. And it can still give you a stomach ache.”

Rose grinned back,

“Well what say we go for chips after?”

The Doctor nodded, and reached for her hand, which she gladly gave, their fingers entwining together effortlessly,

“It’s a deal.”

***

The Doctor watched Rose as they traveled around the giant Halloween themed planet’s festival, and by the time her feet were giving her trouble, as she’d reluctantly confessed, he’d even offered to carry her back to the TARDIS, but she’d refused gamely, he was feeling a bit sleepy himself.

“Rain check on the chips?”

Rose asked with a stifled yawn the instant the Doctor had thrown the switch and flown them back into the vortex.

“Of course. I always forget, you humans and your energy levels…disgraceful.”

He said it with a smile, so she’d know he was only teasing, but she seemed almost too tired to notice.

“That’s nice Doctor. Goodnight.”

She padded down the hall, having taken off her sneakers and taken to carrying them in her hands, and he watched her go in a daze, before suddenly having a thought occur to him,

“Wait! Rose.”

She turned back to him, and looked delightfully confused and sleepy,

“Yes Doctor?”

“I feel a bit like a quick rest myself. Not hours mind you, but a bit. Do you want to…share?”

“You mean like a slumber party?”

The Doctor only thought it over for a moment, (did girls share beds at slumber parties?) before he nodded.

“Okay sure. Lemme just get changed, and you do the same. Don’t want to wrinkle that velvet.”

She managed a smile, with just a hint of tongue and he felt his knees wobble. Maybe this was a terrible idea.

With the TARDIS’ help, he had moved his own bedroom across from hers, so changing out of his makeshift costume only took a moment, and he brushed his teeth with a flourish, just to make sure he had minty fresh breath…in case. Otherwise it was unnecessary, advanced time lord DNA and all that.

He paused outside her door, and lifted his hand to knock, just in time for her to yank open the door.

His hand made contact with her forehead, gently, but it still startled them both.

“Oh…hello.”

Rose giggled, before rubbing her eyes,

“Hello indeed. Déjà vu more like.”

The Doctor frowned in confusion, as he followed her into her bedroom, still trying to contain his glee at the happy situation.

“What do you mean?”

“We met up again like that. You knocked on my head, and it meant I wasn’t plastic…I guess.”

(Bonehead.)

The memory came to him in a flash, and he winced,

“Sorry about that. I didn’t have very many good manners, I’d not been around people in…a while.”

Those memories were an entire other bag of cats he didn’t want to explore.

Rose bit her lip, and turned away from him to crawl onto her bed, leaving him standing and staring after her.

He swallowed thickly, having just been witness to a sliver of skin from where her sleep camisole rode up from her sleep pants, and his hearts beat out a staccato rhythm in his chest as he imagined being able to touch her there.

(Whoa now.)

“What are you waiting for? Climb on.”

The Doctor pointed to his chest with his right hand, mouth agape as he realized what she’d just said.

“Yeah, you.”

“Oh!”

He did as she asked, quickly cuddling up to the covers, and backing up until the headboard was stiff against his spine.

“What are you doing? You can lie down.”

Rose frowned sleepily at him, and her hand snaked over to brush across his chest in an effort to move him.

His hand automatically flew up to keep her from accidentally touching any of his bare skin, excepting his arms and legs. He’d foolishly worn a tee shirt and shorts, and was suddenly wishing he’d put his pinstriped suit back on.

But that wasn’t very practical to nap in.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor finally fell into the proper position, and Rose took her chance, hoping he’d blame her drowsiness on her bold move.

She cuddled up to him, and threw an arm across his chest, content to hug him in the sideways manner usually reserved for her extra pillows, and she sighed contentedly as she felt him relax slightly.

“Goodnight Doctor.”

His arm slowly meandered around to clutch her back, holding her in the close position, and she heard him whisper in reply,

“Sleep well Rose.”

She fell asleep almost the instant her eyes closed, and she wondered if he did the same.

In her dreams she saw visions of gold, and the sun seeming to rise as she kissed the Doctor. She frowned in her sleep. It wasn’t her current Doctor she saw, but the first one.

She threw her arms around his neck, and shifted so that she stood on her tip toes. He was just so tall!

Her hands moved around, and she stroked his ears, feeling him sigh into the kiss, and she smiled against his lips.

That was wonderful.

She felt incredibly safe and loved in his embrace. That’s why hugging him was so different than with anyone else.

She awoke with a start, in a darkened room, with the Doctor still beside her. They’d moved in sleep, and she’d shifted away from him, drifting towards the edge of the bed, but whether unconsciously or not, he’d reached after her, pulling her back, and into his arms.

He was effectively spooning her, and holding her so tightly around her abdomen she was almost having trouble breathing. She imagined that’s what had woken her so suddenly.

She took in a steady deep breath, and felt him move.

Her eyes flew open at once, pupils still straining to see in the darkness, but with one thought screaming inside her mind, she could feel him against her back.

More like pressed to her bum.

Her sleep pants were rather thin, but still kept her warm enough, especially considering another body was clinging to her.

She swallowed nervously, and felt for his arm with her hand, gently weaving their fingers together, and squeezing. The result was his soft exhalation of breath on her neck and against her hair, and he only attempted to move closer to her. There was room between them now for a very thin piece of paper, maybe less.

She felt her cheeks flush, and suddenly the room was constricting, and the air not enough to satisfy her lungs.

She inhaled again, an exaggerated breath, and shifted her hips backwards simultaneously. She was rewarded with a groan that escaped his lips, and a desperate rocking motion of his own lower limbs.

There was no doubt about it now. The Doctor was aroused, holding her tightly, and clearly not willing to let go of her.

The thought thrilled her, and secretly she wondered if he was dreaming about her, or anything like the thoughts she’d had.

Unless this always happened to him?

When did he sleep anyway?

In all the time she’d known him, he’d slept maybe once every few adventures. Sometimes not even after very strenuous ones, involving lots of running.

Maybe he’d just gone too long without recharging.

“Doctor?”

She whispered it so softly her own ears didn’t quite pick it up, but she knew he had his special time lord senses, and would likely notice it, even lost in dreams.

The moment shattered and she felt him stiffen behind her, well, more than he had been.

His arms felt like steel rods around her and before she could speak, she felt him beginning to retreat.

“Wait.”

A pause, and he froze.

“I’m so sorry Rose.”

Then he was moving like lightening, pulling away from her and scrambling out the door, letting it fall shut behind him with a soft click.

If she hadn’t been so sure, she would have thought she imagined him being there at all.

“Oh Doctor…”

***

What had he done?

He’d spooned Rose.

Soft, warm, and oh so cuddlable.

She’d felt like heaven in his arms, and smelt near it too. Her hair was like silk, even when it was tickling his nose a bit, and she’d kept moving, just slightly enough to drive him practically insane.

Then she’d spoken. She had woken up with a time lord wrapped around her. Maybe she hadn’t been able to breathe. He cursed himself.

He had been holding her awfully tightly, but she’d just felt so good.

Then of course his sensitive anatomy had to go and make an appearance, and ruin it all. It would have been so easy to turn her around and kiss her. So easy!

The way she’d fallen asleep on him, hours before he’d eventually drifted off, he could have kissed her on the top of her head and she never would have known. Fool that he was, he’d wanted her to be 100% aware the next time he kissed her.

Next time?

He shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking about that. He’d now kissed her twice, and she’d forgotten both of them.

He hated himself.

The first thing he did upon returning to his room was jump into the shower, sleep clothing still on, and he flipped the knob to cold.

He howled in shock and might have danced around a bit, before getting used to the harsh temperature, but it was worth it.

His problem went away almost instantly.

He finally shed his soaked sleep wear once he emerged from the shower, and pulled a fluffy dark blue robe on. Arguably it could be called the same color as the outside of the TARDIS, but he wasn’t really thinking about that.

When he pushed open the bathroom door to find the shocking sight of Rose sitting on his bed, appearing as if she’d been patiently waiting for him since he’d left her, he nearly ran back into the safe haven of the room.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the TARDIS meddled, and the door behind him was now locked.

“Oh that makes a lot of sense.”

He hissed at the ceiling, and the lights flickered in amusement, as if to say,

‘Maybe if you asked nicely, Rose would let you use hers, but you don’t really need it at the moment, do you?’

“Hello Rose…everything alright?”

He laughed nervously, and plucked at the fraying collar of his robe, suddenly painfully aware that he was virtually naked in her presence, (not that he hadn’t dreamed about this happening several times, and now that was a horribly inconvenient line of thought to be taking).

“No. It’s not. Why did you run away?”

She looked so hurt, he was tempted to fall on his knees and beg her forgiveness.

“Ah well, you see, I was finding myself a bit…”

“Yeah I know. It’s what happens when you spoon, in bed, someone you fancy. How is that a problem?”

He swallowed and let her words bounce around in his rather empty feeling head.

“Do you?”

He squeaked out, and Rose’s lips twitched in a smile, before she regained control of them.

“Do I what?”

“Do you fancy…me?”

Rose sighed, and rolled her eyes, before falling backwards onto his bed,

“Of course I do Doctor. That’s what makes this whole thing miserable.”

The Doctor was alarmed at her statement, and he rushed to her side,

“What do you mean? You don’t want to leave…do you?”

“Of course not! But you make it so hard to just keep things…friendly. You are so fanciable it’s not even funny. Sometimes I just want to pull you in and snog you senseless. Oh god. You made me say it. now you’re going to send me home.”

She rolled over and hid her face from him, trying to bury herself beneath all his throw pillows and the golden and navy comforter on his bed.

“Send you home? Why…”

She wanted him?

Wanted to snog him senseless?

He grinned, rather liking that idea.

But then he frowned. She honestly thought he didn’t want anything to do with her, if she fancied him?

“My silly human.”

The words escaped him unbidden, and she sat up so suddenly he was glad he hadn’t followed her, for she would have broken his nose with her skull smacking his face.

“Silly?”

The Doctor smiled,

“And mine.”

Rose blushed, and she hugged a pillow to her chest,

“Yeah?”

“If you’ll have me.”

She nodded, and he stepped forward, cautiously, before reaching to pluck the pillow out of her grasp,

“I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, if you really have fancied me and never said anything. How long?”

Rose licked her lips, and his eyes zeroed in on them, pink and plump and glistening. Had she been biting them?

“Since the basement in Cardiff, I think. Maybe before.”

The Doctor felt his hearts soar, and he grinned at her,

“You precious girl. I’ve been yours since the ‘turn of the earth.’ Your eyes had such wonder, as you listened to an old man talk, it was the moment of my life…well, lives.”

Rose got to her knees upon his bed, and threw herself at him. He gladly caught her, and pressed his lips to her own.

There was a moment when he fought to keep himself from pressing her too far too fast, but then he felt her tongue on the seam of his lips, and he gladly parted them, his own sneaking out to tease and taste her.

She hummed against him, and the sound vibrated through him.

“What is it?”

He broke the kiss just for a moment to ask her, and she smiled lazily at him,

“I’d like to help you out of your robe…if you don’t mind.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his bangs, and Rose giggled,

“I…uh…er…okay?”

“Okay? You can help me out of my clothes. C’mon, you already ran from me once…don’t do it again. I don’t think I have the energy to give chase.”

The Doctor frowned good naturedly at her,

“Then how can you have the energy for this?”

Rose rolled her eyes,

“Seriously?”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t argue about this.”

“Finally! He admits it.”

The Doctor grinned,

“Had you bet with someone I’d argue about this?”

“Only myself.”

“And?”

“And your lovely ship.”

The Doctor tried not to look too astonished, but when the lights dimmed without his asking, he had his answer.

“She does know what’s best for me.”

“Amen. Now kiss me again.”

“Gladly.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here comes the smut!

When Rose noticed her hands were shaking as she reached to undo the Doctor’s robe, she finally voiced her thoughts,

“I’m really scared.”

“Of what?”

His voice was so kind, so tender, she could almost imagine he was prepared to call it off and simply cuddle with her again, but she _needed_ this, needed him so badly she could hardly think straight from it.

“I dunno. It’s just so final isn’t it?”

“Only if we make it like that. Just because we do this, it doesn’t mean we can’t still have what we did. It just means now, when there’s a dangerous situation and we prevail, cause we _will_ , we can celebrate with more than a hug.”

Rose blushed, grateful for the low lighting,

“I should have guessed you’d say something like that.”

“Cause I’m right?”

“Oh yeah. I wanted to do this after I got you back the first time we fought.”

The fact she didn’t need to go into specifics and he still understood spoke volumes to her.

“Please, let me touch you Rose.”

“Okay.”

Every nerve was alight as the Doctor’s hands slid under her camisole and his fingertips caressed her and brought her closer, his arms winding around her and almost hindering her efforts to undress him.

“Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“Gotta get this bloody thing off.”

She tugged at the ties, and then resumed stroking his collarbone, while pushing off the robe, and when it fell to the floor in a whisper of terrycloth, she swallowed.

She could see him now, all of him, and it was intoxicating.

“Deep breaths.”

“How did you know?”

Rose took in his cheeky grin, and then smiled in return.

“I just had a feeling. I’m just as nervous as you Rose, never think anything else. Anything you want, I’m yours.”

“I want to kiss you again.”

“Okay.”

His gaze focused on her lips, and her eyes nearly crossed from trying to do the same, but they fell closed the instant their mouths made contact.

His hands were not idle during the kiss, even as hers could only clutch his biceps, holding him tightly to her.

He’d begun to tug off her top, and she reluctantly pulled away to allow him to discard it, but the separation was worth it, for the way his eyes widened at the sight of her naked chest was a sight in and of itself.

Her eyes dropped down to his erection, and she swore it twitched as she watched.

“Rose…”

“Yes?”

“You’re beautiful.”

“You’ve um…you’re nice yourself.”

“Thanks?”

She giggled and he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of each breast, causing her nipples to form into buds at the sensation.

“Doctor…that feels so good.”

“Just wait.”

“Oh now don’t be silly.”

“What?”

“It’s not like I’m a virgin, I understand. I mean, you don’t have to be this gentle.”

“I am.”

Rose’s mouth was wide as her eyes surely, as she took his meaning.

“That’s right.”

She gasped,

“New body, new Doctor.”

“Oh my…well, then I guess I don’t mind if you want to go slow.”

“I don’t really.”

With an incredibly swift and extremely sexy move, he had her on her back, and his hands were pulling at her sleep pants before she realized what had happened.

“Well okay.”

He began placing open mouthed kisses down her chest, and pausing only at her stomach, watching it rise and fall as she panted out each breath, before trailing a hand down her thigh, and tossing aside the pants.

“I um, I haven’t had…”

The Doctor licked his lips, and exhaled slowly over her aching core, and the temporary change in temperature along with the realization of what he wanted to do made her heart speed up.

Surely he could hear it, and he was so close, he had to see how desperately she needed him?

“You smell delicious.”

He seemed to be reading her thoughts, and she blushed.

“Gosh I dunno.”

“It’s fine. I want to.”

His fingers walked over her skin, and stopped just shy of her outer lips, prepared to touch her, and she felt herself trembling with need.

“Please.”

“As you wish.”

Rose’s eyes snapped open at the quote, but before she could remark about it, his mouth had descended over her, and he was kissing her, using his perfectly sinful tongue to elicit gasping sounds she never thought would leave her mouth.

His fingers worked just below where his mouth was touching her, and when he pressed inside slowly with one, then two, she squirmed beneath him.

His other hand came up to rest upon her stomach, gently stroking her skin and pressing down to ensure she would accidentally hurt him with her hips.

“Oh Rose…you taste wonderful.”

His voice vibrated against her sensitive flesh, and she panted out the first thing she could think of,

“Thanks.”

She couldn’t see it, but he smiled against her.

When she started to reach for something, anything to hold on to as she neared the edge, he pulled away, putting his fingers in his mouth, and moaning as he licked them off.

“What the hell?”

She wasn’t angry, so much as confused and delirious with pleasure, and wondering why on the TARDIS he’d stopped.

“I want to be inside you, to feel you when you come…is that alright?”

Rose grinned,

“Okay…yeah.”

She watched as he shifted up, leaning over her, and stroking himself once, twice, before lining up to thrust inside her.

She hesitated only a moment, and it must have shown on her face,

“What about –“

“It’s okay. You can’t get pregnant from me. Genetic compatibility isn’t like it could be.”

Rose licked her lips, and watched his face carefully,

“Never?”

“Well…there might be a way, if you wanted.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

She nodded, and he guided himself inside her, letting out a groan as she clenched around him, grateful for something to satisfy the ache he’d brought about with his clever fingers and tongue.

When she brought her hand to the back of his head, eager to kiss him again, as he kept up a steady rhythm, he looked surprised only for a moment, before complying.

She didn’t care that she could taste herself on his lips, she just wanted him.

Her legs parted further beneath him, and he began to move deeper, and she broke their kiss, to whisper for him to go faster, and he did just that, planting kisses along her jaw and moving down to bury his face in the crook of her neck.

He was breathing hard, and she could feel his hearts beating incredibly fast, so he had to be close.

She just needed a little _something_ more, and when his hand worked its way between them, his thumb just brushing across her clit, she was gone.

She couldn’t be sure if she actually spoke his name, or if she just cried out wordless nonsense. The feeling of him finally letting go and spilling himself into her moments later was incredible.

She clung to him for a moment, letting him stay inside her as he rode out her aftershocks, and when he pulled out and collapsed beside her, his hand sought out hers.

“You…that was…wow.”

Rose looked over at him and grinned,

“Is that time lord speak for unbelievable?”

“Er…yes.”

“Fantastic then.”

She cuddled up to him, and he gladly stroked her forehead, fingers carding through her hair and moving the sweaty strands back from her face.

It wasn’t long before his breathing had returned to normal, and the beats of his hearts were a steady metronome underneath her arm, thrown across his chest.

 

“I do have a question.”

“Certainly not.”

Rose giggled,

“Not about _that_ , but just about this.”

She waved a hand about and he inhaled swiftly,

“Yes?”

“How long will I be able to stay with you? I mean, I said forever. But…when I start getting gray, and people mistake me for your mother, out and about…”

The Doctor sighed,

“Oh Rose…that won’t ever happen.”

“How can you be sure?”

She frowned, not bothering to argue that of course she would age, humans did.

“Well, I guess I can only tell you Bad Wolf, and hope you understand.”

Goosebumps erupted over her skin at those words, and she sat up suddenly, whirling around to face him,

“Wait…”

To his credit, he only stared at her bare chest for a few moments before lifting his gaze to meet her own, and he licked his lips,

“Something about it changed you. Inside and out. You’ll never grow old. Well, not like you think. You will age, but it’s unpredictable how.”

Rose gaped at him, and felt her head trying to wrap around the idea, even as she sensed a delicate pressure somewhere at the base of her spine,

“But how?”

“Well I just said even I don’t know…”

“I mean how do you know this.”

She shoved his arm lightly, and he bit his lip, and shrugged,

“You fainted remember? I had to examine you, to ensure you weren’t suffering any long lasting effects in your beautiful mind.”

Rose rolled her eyes but smiled slightly,

“And?”

“And then I broke my rules. I looked at your timeline. Your future. What I saw there was…incredible.”

He smiled, looking a bit awestruck, and Rose felt herself flush,

“I’m not that special.”

“Oh but you are! You’ve done so much good, and there’s still so much you have to do, you will do. But…”

Rose felt herself feeling faint again, luckily she was in no harm of going far if she did,

“What?”

“This love that thou hast shown doth add more grief to too much of mine own.”

Rose frowned, faintly recognizing words of the Bard,

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He took her hands in his, and pulled her towards him, letting her crash into his chest with an ‘oof’ and an exhalation of breath,

“It means we need to treasure every moment we have, and not worry about the future.”

“Because?”

“Because it won’t be easy, for either of us.”

Rose sighed, and her eyes closed,

“That’s what love is though. It’s never easy. Through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, love endures and grows and changes with all that it touches.”

A soft kiss was placed atop her head, and she snuggled closer to him,

“Oh Rose, you’re so wise, and still so young. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“You said ‘Run,’ and I followed you.”

“We never really stopped.”

“Now we’re just running towards each other.”

“Indeed.”

“Oh don’t get all clever.”

“You love it.”

“I love you.”

The walls melted away, and her memories from earlier that day came back in a flash.

She sat up straight and slapped him across the face.

The Doctor sat there, looking a bit stunned for a moment, before he nodded.

“I deserved that.”

“You sure did. What if I never said it? Or you? How could you hide that from me?”

The Doctor gulped and looked around the room before back at her,

“Honestly? I never saw things going this way.”

Rose rolled her eyes and leaned in close,

“You are such a martyr.”

“Oh definitely.”

“C’mere.”

The kiss was so much sweeter with the knowledge that he felt exactly the same as her. It was all that mattered to her.

A universal truth.

***

The next morning, Rose was still snoozing beside him, and the Doctor lifted up one of her arms, beginning with the palm of her hand, he started placing kisses on her skin.

When he reached her elbow, she started to stir.

“What are you doing?”

The words came out a bit slurred and her little frown of confusion amused him greatly,

“Don’t you remember?”

“No I don’t.”

“Good morning.”

Her eyebrows nearly met on her forehead, before returning to their former position and her lips curled into a smile,

“Oh god. Is this how they do it?”

“Between lovers…yes.”

Every word was punctuated by a peck on her skin, and when the Doctor reached her face, he took her lips in a swift and searing kiss.

When he pulled back to look at her again, her eyes were open fully,

“Good morning to you too.”

“So breakfast, then an adventure?”

“Okay.”

“C’mon then. We don’t need to get dressed do we?”

Rose was giggling and running after him, and he was suddenly full of energy.

They reached the kitchen and Rose went for the cereal, leaving him standing in front of the stove in confusion.

“What about eggs?”

Rose glanced at him, and her eyes lingered below his waist,

“Uh, no cooking at the stove without clothing. That’s a new rule, instated now.”

He pouted at her, but she was right. He then stalked over towards her, wiggling his eyebrows as he went, and she dissolved into giggles again, letting him pull her into his embrace, and gladly kissing him again, even despite both of them having morning breath.

“Okay okay. Enough now, I really need to eat.”

The Doctor sighed,

“Yes of course. I suppose I did promise you chips, and I still owe you. For lunch then? We can go to New Earth.”

Rose looked at him, hand halfway into the cereal box,

“Where’s that?”

“Further than we’ve ever gone before.”

“After the end of the world?”

“Yep.”

“Alright. I can’t wait.”

“Want to shower after we eat?”

Rose licked her lips and swallowed before glancing at him again, (the cheeky minx)

“Oh yes.”

“Let’s hurry up here then.”

“Get the milk then please.”

 

It was possibly a few hours later when they finally emerged from the shower, the TARDIS having lost her patience with both of them, and turned the cold water on them.

Rose emerged into the console room wearing a blue tank and a form fitting turquoise hoodie that the Doctor knew he’d be fighting the urge to take right back off of her, and he’d put on his best pinstriped suit.

“Ready for adventure?”

“How do you say it? Allons-y!”

He beamed at her, and took the hand offered to him, leading her out of the front doors, to New Earth. The coordinates were perfectly correct this time, and they had plenty of ideas in mind for things to do on the apple grass, before the Doctor noticed he’d received a message on his psychic paper.

But that would be a story for another time.

**END**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all enjoyed this story, that was originally meant to be a drabble *shakes fist at plot bunny*


End file.
